Bristi Adhikary// MC Mary Kom, the six times world champion has now decided to join the rest of the India’s Olympic bound boxing team in Italy for training to avoid travelling to Tokyo due to COVID-19 pandemic.
She will take off for Assisi in two to three days to join eight other boxers who will participate in Tokyo Olympics and are ready to leave for the place.
She believes the quarantine should not break her training, so she decides to leave for Italy along with her personal coach Chhote Lal Yadav. “I have changed my plans. I have returned to Delhi and will leave for Italy maybe tomorrow or day after. There are stricter quarantine restrictions on those who are travelling from India. I want to avoid them,” said MC Mary Kom.
The Tokyo Olympics which was to be held in the year 2020 is now shifted to the year 2021 due to COVID 19 pandemic, is to start from July 23. Until now she was training at the Pune Army Sports Institute.
However, amid COVID pandemic other ten countries including India have taken strict rules and regulations for all the people who are going to be present there in the venue itself, by the Japanese government. Yet athletes from Italy are not following the rules but athletes from India are going through 19 tests before a week for the game to start. Also, every one is requested not to be in direct contact with anyone from different countries.
“The protocols are obviously tough given the circumstances and you don’t want additional stuff to deal with while trying to focus on your performance,” said Mary Kom.
The Japanese government has given some relaxation to athletes from India, medical updates onlineand their travel preparations for Tokyo. It is an honour for India that nine boxers – five men and four women – qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.
